Bobby Cannavale steals every scene as the out-of-control cool teacher in Netflix's 'Incoming' (2024)

Everyone had a cool high school teacher that all the students loved, and in Incoming on Netflix—which began streaming today—that cool teacher is played by a pitch-perfect Bobby Cannavale.

Cannavale is so perfect, in fact, that he makes one wish that Incoming—an R-rated about a three new freshman high schoolers, navigating the growing pains of adolescence—was instead a movie about Cannavale’s character, a lonely high school teacher who goes too far while seeking the validation from teenagers. If Mr. Studebaker had been the whole movie, Incoming would have been one of my top movies of 2024.

This isn’t to say that the young lead actors of Incoming aren’t funny and charming, of course. Mason Thames (The Black Phone) stars as Benj, who has decided his freshman year of high school will be the year he ditches his not-cool musical theater hobby and finally get with his older sister’s hot BFF, Bailey (Isabella Ferreira). When Benj’s rich friend Koosh (Bardia Seiri) throws a rager, Benjs sees the party as his chance to romance Bailey.

Also invited to this party is Bobby Cannavale’s character, Mr. Studebaker. Mr. Studebaker teachers chemistry, and all the student love him. It’s immediately apparent why Mr. Studebaker is so beloved when we get to see him in action. Mr. Studebaker—or “Studes,” as some kids call him—says the f-word, calls his students “dude,” and demonstrates a gnarly chemical reaction on the very first day of chemistry class. He is simply cool. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s as ruggedly handsome as Emmy-winning actor Bobby Cannavale.

Or at least, he’s cool to Benj and his classmates. But Incoming writers/directors Dave
and John Chernin cleverly allow audiences to see who Mr. Studebaker is when he’s not teaching: a lonely, recently-divorced, middle-aged man. Before the first day of school, we see Mr. Studebaker going through his phone contacts, desperate to find an adult to hang with over the weekend. No one wants to see him… except for his 16-year-old students, who earnestly invite him to Koosh’s party. Mr. Studebaker brushes off the invite, telling them to put him down as “a never gonna happen.” Then that Friday night loneliness comes creeping in, and Mr. Studebaker finds himself at a teenage house party.

Though he knows it’s inappropriate, Mr. Studebaker tells himself it’s OK for him to party with his students, as long as he’s still educating them while he does. At first, he seems to pull this off. Under the guise of doing “just one shot,” he teaches a crowd of adoring teenagers the chemistry behind flaming shots. He does his shot and has his mic-drop exit (“Studes out!”) to cheers. If he’d left it at that, he could have gone out on top.

But ol’ Studes just can’t get enough of that sweet, sweet validation that he’s lacking in the real world. As the night wears on, he doesn’t go home. Instead, he gets messy. Like, really messy. I won’t spoil the film, but let’s just say his actions are not a good look for an educator. And yet because Cannavale is so hilarious, so endearing, and so lovable, you can’t help but root for the guy.

Despite the depth Cannavale brings to the role, Studebaker’s storyline is really only there for laughs. I get it! This is a teen movie about teens, not middle-aged teachers. It’s just a shame, because it feels like there could be a whole movie there—a little indie comedy about the inner life of everyone’s favorite cool teacher. Alas, Cannavale’s screen time is cut short to make way for a never-ending poop joke. C’est la vie! At least we got Studes for the time that we did.

In an interview for the Incoming press notes, the Chernins said of the character Studebaker, “We knew there was a thin line between funny and creepy, and the performance had to strike the right balance. Bobby totally understood the character’s intentions and threaded the needle perfectly. Plus, he just oozes charisma and likability. It was a blast watching him bring it to life.”

I couldn’t agree more. Now let’s get that Incoming spin-off and give Cannavale’s character the full emotional arc and growth he deserves. Chant with me: Studes! Studes! Studes!